Wrench.



No. 802,962. PATENTED 00T'. 31, 1905.

- `A. L. BENNETT.

WRENCH.

APPLIGATON FILED MAR-3, 1906.

ARTHUR L. BENNETT,

PATENT FFIQE..

OF MORGANTOWN, IV EST VIRGINIA.

WRENCH.

No. strasse.

Speccaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

Application filed March 3, 1905. Serial No. 248-239.

T0 LZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, ARTHUR L. BENNETT, residing at Morgantown, in the county of Monongaliaand State of West Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Wrench, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in that type of wrenches having a socketed handle connected to the toothed shank of the stationary jaw and a sliding jaw whoseshank extends into the socketed handle, and which has teeth adapted to be gripped into an interlocking engagement with teeth on the stationary shank, and which is adapted to be held to its adjusted position by the hand that grasps the handle when using vthe wrench, and primarily my invention seeks to provide an improved wrench of the type referred to of a simple and economical construction, in which the several parts are correlatively so arranged that they can be easily made and assembled and conveniently adjusted, as may be desired.

In its general nature my improved wrench comprehends a stationary jaw, the pendent shank of which is vertically slotted and the lower end of which has aratchet-face located within a socketed handle made fast to the lower end of the said stationary shank, asliding jaw having its rear edge grooved, whereby said edge will lap over and ride upon the stationary shank, said sliding shank having vertical movement in the socketed handle, its lower end having ratchet-teeth to engage the ratchet-face of the stationary jaw, said sliding jaw and shank also having a limited swing movement with respect to the other jaw, whereby the rack-teeth o n the said shank can be conveniently disengaged from the teeth in the opposing shank, and a special form of clevis for holding the sliding jaw interlocked with the shank of the other jaw, the means for securing' the clevis acting as a guide-stud for engaging the slot in the stationary jawshank.

In its m`ore subordinate features myinvention consists in certain details of construction and combination of parts, that will hereinafter be fullj.7 described, specifically pointed ont in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my improved wrench. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof having the movable jaw and shank adjusted to slide freely on the stationary shank. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a similar View on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

In the practical construction the stationary jaw l is iixedly connected to the shank 2 and is preferably integral therewith. The shank 2 has its front edge smooth to a point just below the top of the handle 3, and the remainder of its length has ratchet-teeth 2l for interlocking with like teeth on the sliding jaw, as will presently more fully appear.

The handle 3. which is preferably of wood, is halved and secured to the lower end of the shank 2 by the rivets r2, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5, by reference to which it will be seen between the handle-sections is fitted a spring-metal strap 4, bent to follow the shape of the handle and to extend under and against `the lower end of the shank 2, said strap forming, as it were, a part of the handle. One end 4a of the strap 4 fits closely up against the back edge of the shank 2, and the said end is widened, forked, and bentinward to straddle the shank 2 and to enter sockets 3C in the upper end of the handle, which forms the means for securing the said end 4 to the handle. The other end 4b of the strap curves inwardly and has a slight bifurcation 4c to guide and allow for a limited outward movement of the sliding shank presently referred to.

S denotes a iiat spring that is riveted to the inside of the front member of the strap 4 and has its upper free end extended close up to the bifurcated end 4c to engage the front edge of the sliding jaw, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and for the purpose presently explained, and to provide for adjusting the tension and the set of the spring S an adjusting-screw s is mounted on the strap 4,thatengages the spring S, as shown.

The sliding jaw 5 has an integral shank 5a, the front edge of which is smooth its full length, while the rear edge of the lower end thereof has ratchet-teeth 5b to coact with the teeth 2a on the shank 2. The shank 5L is of such length that when the jaw 5 is slid up to the limit the lower end of the shank will still engage the spring-plate 4 near the upper end thereof. The sliding jaw 5 is of a length substantially equal that of the other jaw, and it has its rear portion thickened and grooved vertically, as at 5C, whereby to lit over or straddle the shank 2, as clearly shown in the drawings. The jaw 5 is held interlocked with the jaw-shank 2 by means of a U-shaped clevis that fits over the back edge of the shank 2 and straddles the rear edge of jaw 5, to which TOO IIO

its ends are secured by the rivet-pin 6, that passes through the ears of the clevis, and a slot 2 in the shank 2,that extends lengthwise thereof and parallel with the inner edge thereof.

By'forming the sliding jaw in the manner described it can be cheaply made and adjusted upon the other jaw without machinery or special fitting, since the clevis can'be readily bent up from strap-steel and connected to the jaw 5. Again, by arranging the connection as described the pin 6 also forms the pivot on` which to swing the jaw-shank away from its mate 2, and since the pin slides in the slot the jaw 5 can be quickly swung out so its teeth will clear the teeth on the shank 2 at f any of its set positions on the said shank 2.

In use the operator swings the shank 5L away from the shank2 to clear the notches thereon, when the jaw 5 can be slid up ordown to th'e distance desired, and when properly shifted by grasping the handle tightly the shank 5 interlocks with the teeth on shank 2, and thus holds the two jaws iirm to their adjusted positions. By having the front of the handle-socket closed and providing a spring therein, as shown. the movable jawshank will be held interlocked with the other.v

shank while loosely holding the w rench-handle or when laying down the Wrench. This is an advantageous feature, since in Wrenches of the kind stated where the interlocking of the two shanks is entirely dependent on the proper grasping of the handle when temporarily laying down the wrench to use the hand for other work the adjustment of the jaws is changed, since the sliding jaw and its shank easily become disengaged from the ratchet portion of the stationary jaw. v

I am'aware that wrenches in which is embodied a sliding jaw-shank guided by a slot in the other shank and having a face to interlock with the stationary 'aw-shank have been heretofore provided. My invention, so far as I know, differentiates from such type of wrenches heretofore provided in the details of construction of the sliding jaw, the manner in which it engages the stationary jaw-shank, the means for pivotally connecting and guiding it to the stationary shank, and the automatic holding of the sliding shank to its interlocked adjustments, as set out in the appended claims.

My form of wrenchis capable of being used as a pipe as well as amonkey-wrench by simply changing the shape of the gripping-jaw surfaces to suit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A wrench comprising a stationary jaw and shank, the latter having ratchet-teeth on the front edge thereof, a sliding jaw with shank, said sliding' jaw being grooved vertisoaeea l cally on its rear' edge to straddle the shank of the other jaw. and having ratchet-teeth at its lower inner edge to engage the teeth on the l other shank, and the U-shaped clevis that tits s over the stationary shank and pivotally connects at its ends with the sliding jaw, substantially as shown and described.

2. A wrench comprising a stationary jaw with a pendent shank, the latter having a longitudinal slot in the upper end and ratchetyteeth in its front edge; in combination with a sliding jaw having a pendent shank theloWer edge of which has teeth to engage the teeth on the other shank, the said jaw having a rearwardly-extended portion grooved on its rear edge to straddle the slotted shank, the

j U-shaped clevis, that straddles the rear edge of the slotted shank and the sliding jaw, and the pin that joins the clevis ends, and the sliding jaw, said pin extending through the slot in the stationary shank, for the purposes described.

3. The combination with the stationary jaw and the shank therefor, the latter having a longitudinal slot at the upper end and ratchetteeth on its front face and the handle secured to the said shank, said handle having a transverse socket; of the sliding jaw having a shank adapted to extend down into the socket in the handle and having ratchet-teeth for engaging the teeth on the other shank, the .upper end of the sliding jaw and shank being extended rearwardly and grooved on the rear edge to straddle the stationary shank, the U-shaped clevis and the pin that pivotally connects the clevis with the sliding jaw, the pivot-pin that passes through the slot in the stationary shank and the strap-band that closes the socket in the handle, and a spring carried by the strap that engages the sliding shank, all being arranged substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

4:. The herein-described improved wrench, comprising the stationary shank and jaw, the sliding jaw and shank that cooperates with the other shank and jaw, means on the two Shanks for holding said shanks interlocked, the sliding shank having pivotal movement on the other shank; a two-part handle fitted on the stationary shank, a strap-band that closes the space between the handle memberssaid band having one end forked to straddle the stationary sha'nk its other end being arranged to form a guide for the sliding shank, aspring mounted on the front member of the strap-band that engages the front edge of the sliding shank, and a device for adjusting the tension of the said spring, as set forth.

/Vitnesses:`

S. W. JoFFnRs, S. 1. KELLER.

IOC/ 

